Rivers dismisses “chatter” regarding lack of killer instinct

This year, the Chargers have beaten the 1-4 Raiders, the 1-5 Chiefs, and the 2-4 Titans. They’ve also lost winnable games via blown second-half leads to the Saints and the Broncos.

Asked on Wednesday regarding the existence of “chatter” over the lack of a killer instinct, quarterback Philip Rivers sharply disagreed.

“I think it’s just what you said, a lot of chatter,” Rivers said, via comments distributed by the team. “There’s no substance and it doesn’t matter what anyone on the outside thinks.”

But plenty of people on the outside think there’s real substance to it, as evidenced by double-digit leads squandered against New Orleans and Denver. Plenty of people also wonder why Rivers doesn’t get the same kind of criticism that Tony Romo and Mike Vick absorb for subpar play.

If the turnovers and blown leads continue, the chatter will only intensify. Regardless of its substance.

Mr. Rivers is a good QB on the technical level, but he lacks the personality to take charge of a game (pun not intended). He had several chances to put the game away and squandered those opportunities. He simply is not an elite quarterback. Between him and Norm, I feel for the San Diego fans. I believe they are some of the classiest in pro sports. They don’t deserve this pain.

No doubt, he’s made some bad decisions, but like any QB, he’s only as good as his O-line. His blindside is being protected by an undrafted rookie. He has no scrambling ability, so if the pocket keeps collapsing he’s going to continue to struggle. If he has protection we’ll see the Rivers of old.

As a Chargers fan it’s been really hard to root for this guy. He had a handful of seasons where his talent made me overlook the fact that he’s a giant tool. Let’s not fool ourselves any longer. The guy’s skills are diminishing before our eyes and he chokes at every chance he can.

We let Drew Brees go for this.

We hired Norv Turner to coach a team with 11 pro-bowlers and the reigning MVP.

What a way to completely destroy something beautiful you built, AJ.

Amnesty International should investigate this organization for torturing a fan base.

I watch as much football as anybody, & Philip Rivers has what it takes to be a Super Bowl quarterback. I have learned thru experience, that you have to trust what you see. Sometimes things won’t go your way, but that just makes it that much more sweet

Watching the Chargers is like watching Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. It is literally the same issues, the same comments, the same stupid crap over and over and over again with Norv, AJ and Rivers.

It’s never about winning………it’s always about how and why they lose.

Any organization establishes its culture from the top. The fact that this same stuff happens every year with the same guys in the same leadership positions (with the same stale ideas that don’t work over and over again) is all on Spanos.

Has Marty Schottenheimer stopped laughing for one second since that idiot AJ Smith fired him?

Mike Harris and Clary are both at the bottom of the NFL in terms of pressures allowed.

That’s his problem.

Mike Harris is an undrafted rookie and will undoubtedly get better. But I’ve been saying for the last year and a half that the biggest mistake AJ Smith made was giving Clary a fat contract. He could have corrected this mistake in the offseason by ditching Clary and nabbing Eric Winston but no, Winston went to the Chiefs, for the same money that Clary gets.

Unfortunately, the money spent on Jared “Big Lazy” Gaither looks to be wasted as well.

At the very least we can look forward to Vincent Brown coming back. He looked better than Meachem or Royal in the preseason.

The Chargers are 3-3 and are no worse off than many other playoff bound teams. I would still take Norval over half the coaches in the NFL-Jason Garrett, Rex Ryan, Chan Gailey,Pat Shurmur,Mike Mularkey, Dennis Allen,Greg Schiano, Mike Munchak, just to name some. Rivers is bound to have an off game or two a season and he has proven year in and year out to be a top 10 qb. Give the chargers a break on the hate if you don’t think they will beat your team why bother hating them? Im not ready to throw out the season yet, we have some talent just need to fix mental errors. It could be worse at 3-3 tied for first 2-1 in the division and next two opponents are cleveland and kc.

“There’s no substance and it doesn’t matter what anyone on the outside thinks.”

You know that the “people on the outside” are the reason that you get paid millions to play a freakin’ game right? If they didn’t buy tickets and watch you underperform on TV you wouldn’t be able to act like a jerk and a baby and get wealthy while doing it. You can always quit and get a normal job for the first time in your life Philip.

By the way why do you go by “Philip” instead of say, “Phil” or something? It just makes you look even more like a frat boy villain from a movie.

I love watching that punk Rivers choke against my Broncos. Dude does nothing but talk Sh!t when hes winning but when he loses acts like a little baby. Maybe work on your game as much as you work on talking Sh!t.

There’s no question Rivers has a killer instinct. He’s a trash-talking QB par excellence. Problem is, his arm can no longer back it up. The way he grips and throws the ball demands a zip he can no longer produce. Thus his passes often arrive late, short, and/or are floaters.
If Turner doesn’t change the scheme, I can see a bad ending for Rivers and the Bolts.

He doesn’t get the criticism because even though he made some piss poor throws and decisions, he has to try to do it by himself. AJ apparently thought that Rivers was God and he didn’t need the likes of Sproles, Jackson, or Turner and now they have Meachem, who doesn’t look like he knows what going on or wants to be there, Royal, and Ronnie Brown in the 3rd down back.

Norval thought that calling 28 passing plays and 11 running plays, therefore squandering the current best player on the offense, Mathews, after building a 24-0 lead was a great way to keep the clock moving and cement the lead. Rivers play has declined sharply over the past 2 seasons, but he’s not playing with the same team that beat the Colts in the playoffs or went 14-2 before AJ crap-canned Marty and hired his puppet.

I don’t care who the quarterback is, with the diminution in talent around him and continual coaching by Norv, he won’t improve. Had Drew stayed or Eli been drafted by SD, the circumstances would be the same. Bad line, let your best receiver go, lose LT, and have mediocre Norv as your mentor and coach, too much current to paddle against.

AJ Smith has always liked Wade Philips. Spanos likes him also. Lets see what he can do without Jerry Jones telling him what to do. Turner has three months left on his contract.
There will be a new beginning in Charger football according to AJ Smith.

Will people please stop the Eli/rivers comparison. Eli was drafted to be traded plain and simple. He was smart because he has been groomed and surrounded by a great team in ny while rivers has had talent removed and a complete neglect of the oline. Eli, while his talent is debatable, his success is not and he will be rich with all his endorsements after his career is over. His success in ny will secure his children’s finances and maybe his grandchildrens futures. Rivers IS extremely talented but his talent is being squandered and runs an extremely big chance of not having the same financial success that Eli will have after retirement. Who knows how rivers would have done in ny but one thing is for sure, san Diego cannot build and sustain a franchise like a new York franchise can. In ny the stakes are way too high to succeed

I have always believed Rivers to be a punk…a talented punk, but a punk nonetheless. His struggles on the field are a function of the talent drain on the offense, and a very, very poor head coach. Unfortunately, when a QB’s performance starts to slide noticeably, as Rivers’ has, the decline is seldom arrested. Charger fans, I believe you’ve seen the best of Phillip Rivers, it’s all downhill from here.

9 INT 3 fumbles where is the back up..he is garbage lets say that. He can’t do half the things Vick can do all rivers do is whine. He gave the game alway and need to be hearing footsteps. He is know better than Vick or even that sorry QB in Dallas

Rivers benefited from playing with two hall of camera during his early years. LT and Gates made him better then an average QB. As a QB he doesn’t make other players better. Peyton, Brady, Eli, Rodgers make their WRs better. Rivers can’t. Plus he has lost something on his passes. I think his delivery of the football has something to do with.

They can turn it around. They have the talent. They’ve proven they can dominate in the first half. They just need to learn to play complete games.
The Bolts will beat the Browns, Chiefs and Bucaneers and retake control of the division by beating the Broncos in Denver on Norvember 11.
Be a witness to it.
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The Raiders were leading in the first half against the Dolphins, Broncos, and Falcons. Guess they just need to learn to play complete games as well. I remember when humb0lt said the Chargers were going to be 5-1 at this point and have control of the division. I witnessed that. Choo choo.